On October 26, the 54th All Tenri Schools Speech Rally–featuring 14 speakers, one from each of the schools in the Home of the Parent–was held at Tenri University Auditorium. The speech rally, sponsored by Tenri University’s Yoboku Association with the support of Doyusha Publishing Company, aims to provide students who study at schools in the Home of the Parent with an opportunity to talk about their school life and faith experiences and share their joy of faith. The following is a summary of the speech delivered by Satoko Harima from Tenri Nursing School.
* * * * *
When I was a schoolgirl, I lived in the Philippines for a couple of years because my father, who works for the Overseas Department, was assigned to the mission post there. I saw many Filipino children who were unable to go to school because they had to work for a living. Although I was still very young, I saw the disparity between the rich and the poor and realized that so many people had to struggle to live. This experience led me to consider choosing a career that would enable me to be useful to others, and I came to cherish the dream of becoming a nurse. After entering Tenri Nursing School, I studied hard and learned a lot of things through my practical training at the hospital. One of the patients was a man suffering from cancer. It had already spread throughout the body, and he was unable to move due to severe pain. I still remember him lamenting over his condition: “Though I want to move, I cannot. Though I want to eat, I cannot. There are so many things I want to do, but I cannot. It is so trying.” Listening to the anguish felt by such patients, I pondered each day over what sort of nursing care I could provide for them. Taking advantage of the “three years, one thousand days” season leading up to the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama, I made a resolution to implement salvation work in my daily life. As I was undergoing practical training at the hospital, I wanted to do whatever I could to help patients who were suffering from illnesses or anxieties. I began by simply trying to be spirited and smile whenever I interacted with them. I felt truly happy when one woman smiled back at me and said, “I become spirited when I see your smiling face.” On the way home every day, I went to the Main Sanctuary to express my gratitude to God the Parent and whole-heartedly prayed that the patients would receive God’s blessings fully. Praying to God was what I could do as a means of salvation work at that time. I intend to learn a lot of things here at Jiba so that I, as a Yoboku nurse, might be useful in Oyasama’s salvation work. I also hope to be able to devote myself to saving people who are suffering from illnesses in other parts of the world